Clematis plant named ‘Evipo074’

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, violet purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo074’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, anun-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2003 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named‘Evipo074’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seedparent has flowers which are red-purple, while the new variety hasflowers which are lavender blue with a red-purple central bar. The malepollen plant has flowers which are red-purple.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant violet purple flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for        container culture; and    -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo074’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 2004. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo074’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 2004. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo074’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo074’.Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages ofdevelopment, flower in parts, juvenile stem and leaves, mature leaves,and a stem exhibiting flower buds, partially opened flowers, and leaves.Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo074’, as observed inits growth throughout the flowering period in Yamhill County Oreg.Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 litercontainers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may varyunder different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, andclimatic conditions. Color references are made using The RoyalHorticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except wherecommon terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety ‘Evipo037’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.18,104 are compared to ‘Evipo074’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo074’ ‘Evipo037’ Flower diameter 135 mm 130 to 150 mm Tepalupper Violet Group N88A Violet-Blue Group N89C surface with a centralbar Violet Group N79B Tepal count 6 6 to 7 tepals

Flower and Flower Bud

-   Blooming habit: Continuous. The natural flowering period is    generally from April to September.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—Normally 40 mm in length. Bud diameter is 17 mm.        -   Bud form.—Elliptic, somewhat urceolate.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Bud color.—Yellow-Green Group 145A.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Surface texture.—Smooth.        -   Length.—On average 20 mm.        -   Diameter.—2 mm.        -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144B.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.-   Receptacle:    -   -   Surface texture.—Lightly pubescent.        -   Shape.—Broad funnel.        -   Size.—1 mm (h)×3 mm (w).        -   Color.—Yellow-Green Group 144B.-   Flower arrangement:    -   -   Location on vine.—New and old growth.        -   Borne.—Each flowering branch develops 3 to 7 flower buds.-   Flower bloom:    -   -   Size.—On average, flowers are 135 mm in diameter and 25 mm            in depth.        -   Profile.—Open flowers are almost flat.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lasting quality.—Flowers normally remain up to 10 days on            the plant.-   Tepals:    -   -   Tepal color.—Upon opening, the upper surface is Violet Group            N88A with a central bar Violet Group N79 B. Lower surface is            Violet Group 86A with overlay of Violet-Blue Group 91B and a            central bar Yellow-Green Group 145C. After opening, the            upper surface is Violet Group N88A with a central bar of            Violet Group N79B. The lower surface is Violet Group 86A            with overlay of Violet-Blue Group 91B and a central bar            Yellow-Green Group 145C.        -   Quantity.—Normally 6 tepals.        -   Size.—About 65 mm in length by 30 mm wide.        -   Shape.—Individual tepal shape is            ovate/lanceolate/oblanceolate/obovate/elliptic/spatulate.            The tepal apex is acuminate/mucronate/rounded. The tepal            base is typically acute/rounded.        -   Apex recurvature.—Slight.        -   Tepal cross section.—Slightly cupped.        -   Margins.—Entire. Strong to moderate, tight undulations.        -   Persistence.—Tepals drop off cleanly.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Arrangement.—Open.        -   Pollen.—None observed.        -   Anthers.—Size: 5 mm in length. Color: Black Group 202A.            Quantity: On average, 45.        -   Filaments.—Color: Violet-Blue Group 91A at the base, and            Purple Group 76D. Length: 10 mm.        -   Pistils.—Quantity: On average, 25.        -   Styles.—Color: White Group 155D. Length: 15 mm.

Plant

-   Plant form: Climbing.-   Plant growth: Moderately vigorous.-   Size: Seasons growth attains about 60 cm in height. Average spread    is 40 cm.-   Stems:    -   -   Color.—Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144B. Mature            stems are Greyed-Purple 183C.        -   Internodes.—On average, 60 cm between nodes.        -   Length.—Normally 20 cm from the base of the plant to the            flowering portion of the stem.        -   Diameter.—2 or 3 mm.        -   Texture.—Mature stems are generally smooth.-   Plant foliage:    -   -   Leaf characteristics.—Deciduous.        -   Arrangement.—Trifoliate.        -   Leaf size.—Compound leaves are normally 140 mm (l)×120 mm            (w). Leaflets are normally 45 mm (l)×25 mm (w).        -   Abundance.—On average 1 or 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem.        -   Leaf color.—Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A. Juvenile            lower Yellow-Green Group 144B. Mature upper Yellow-Green            Group 146A with marginal intonations of Greyed-Red Group            178A. Mature, lower leaflets are Yellow-Green Group 146C.        -   Stipules.—Absent.        -   Petioles.—Size: Normally 60 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.            Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 187A.        -   Petioloule.—Size: Normally 10 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.            Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 187A.        -   Leaflet shape.—Elliptic. The base is rounded. The apex is            acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—The upper and lower surfaces are smooth.        -   Thickness.—Average.        -   Glossiness.—Somewhat glossy.-   Disease resistance: Subject to any disease that normally attacks the    species. However the variety is more tolerant to clematis wilt,    Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis known to the inventors.-   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness Zone 6.-   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for    climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat    zone 7.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo074’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to itsabundant violet purple flowers with good keepability, attractive longlasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering underglasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttingsin pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.